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Human Rights Council – Universal Periodic Review

For use of information media; not an official record

Date: Friday 07 May (afternoon)

Country under review: SWEDEN

  1. Documents: national report (A/HRC/WG.6/8/SWE/1), compilation of UN information (A/HRC/WG.6/8/SWE/2), summary of stakeholders’ information (A/HRC/WG.6/8/SWE/3)
  2. Troika: Mauritius, Ukraine, Uruguay

Concerned country - national report

  1. Represented by a 19-member delegation and headed by H. E. Mr. Frank Belfrage, State Secretary, Ministry for Foreign Affairs
  2. National report presented by the head of delegation

Highlights

  1. Comprehensive legislation against hate crime, including clause in Penal Code which aggravates sentencing for crimes motivated by racial and religious hatred.
  2. Special hate crime unit; hate crime telephone hotline; specialised training for police and prosecutors.
  3. No specific provision in the Penal Code prohibiting torture.
  4. Action plan on prostitution and trafficking for sexual purposes. Purchase of sexual services prohibited by law.
  5. Gender equality policy, with focus on labour market.
  6. Freedom of expression, of press and of religion enshrined in Constitution. Censorship of written media prohibited since 1949.
  7. Discrimination Act prohibits discrimination on grounds of ethnicity, sex, sexual orientation, religion, disability, age and transgender identity or expression.
  8. Asylum-seeking children entitled to education and health and medical care. Ambition to ensure access to education to children without residence permit.
  9. Sami indigenous Parliament to strengthen participation in political life.

Interactive discussion

Number of States taking part in the discussion

  1. Member States: 29
  2. Observer States: 24

Positive achievements

  1. Action plan and awareness programmes to combat violence against women.
  2. Act on National Minorities and Minority Languages.
  3. Children’s ombudsman.
  4. Efforts to integrate new legal immigrants into the labour market.
  5. Human rights education in schools and training of police and judicial officers.
  6. Ratification of the Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.
  7. More than 0,7 % of GDP devoted to international cooperation.
  8. Standing invitation to UN Special Procedures.

Issues and questions raised

  1. High level of racially motivated hate crimes.
  2. Torture not criminalized.
  3. Violence against women.
  4. Child abuse and trafficking.
  5. Gender equality. Women in high ranking position and wage gap.
  6. Discrimination against indigenous people, minorities and immigrants.
  7. Rights of persons with disabilities.
  8. Surveillance Act’s interference with right to privacy.
  9. Integration of immigrants and refugees.
  10. Arms trade to countries where there are child soldiers.

Recommendations

  1. Take comprehensive measures to effectively combat racism and xenophobia.
  2. Impose ban on racist organizations.
  3. Strengthen efforts to prevent and eliminate violence against women.
  4. Prevent and combat child sex tourism.
  5. Enshrine protection and rights of Sami people into Constitution.
  6. Address prejudice and stereotypes against persons with disabilities.
  7. Promote better integration and protection of immigrants and asylum seekers, especially in the labour market and access to adequate health care.
  8. Elaborate a national action plan to solve the problem of homeless children.
  9. Ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant workers and members of their families; and the Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance.

Response of the concerned country

  1. Racist organizations – Prohibited by Penal Code. Countered via legislation and police action.
  2. Violence against women – High priority. Extensive legislative and institutional measures.
  3. Criminalization of torture – Torture prohibited and penalised under other legal provisions.
  4. Arms trade and child soldiers – Commitment not to export arms to countries where there is a risk of armed conflict and conscription of children.
  5. Roma minority and Sami people – Initiative taken to combat negative attitudes and prevent stereotypes concerning Roma people. Proposed Constitution amendment to give explicit recognition to the Sami people.

Adoption of the report by the UPR working group scheduled on
Tuesday 11 May, 17:30 – 18:00

More information

  1. UPR:http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/upr-main
  2. Country under review (documents submitted): http://www.ohchr.org/en/hr-bodies/upr/upr-main